A New Knight
by Cyren Nightsong
Summary: Nottingham saves a young woman from being raped one night. She seems like an ordinary person, but is she? Ellie is looking for keys to her lost past. Can she find what she needs in New York?
1. A Chance Meeting

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. Witchblade is owned by Top Cow.**

**Chapter 1. A Chance Meeting**

**Bryant Park, New York City, 11:30 p.m.**

**Eleanor Tortosa worked as a psychologist consultant at the NYPD. She didn't intend to be out this late but the paperwork from the day had piled up. She had a grip on the pepper spray she kept in her purse. She could hear the echo of her footsteps as she hurried across the park. Her apartment wasn't too far. If only she could make it there without being mugged. She hated walking home in the middle of the night. 'One of these days, I'll get a car.' She thought. A wave of relief washed over her as she saw her building in the distance. **

**All of a sudden she felt a hand grip her arm. She was spun around and came face to face with her assailant. "Let me go!" She tugged at her arm, trying to get free. The man was probably around 30 years old, blonde hair, and very mean-looking. He sneered at her. "Don't think so, little lady. You and me are going to have some fun." He produced a knife. Eleanor realized what he intended and her stomach turned over. Her brown eyes widened in fear. There was no one around to help her. She was in big trouble! Ellie struggled with him as best she could but the man was twice her size. He dragged her behind a tree and pushed her against it. Before he could do anything else, Eleanor kicked him in the crotch. He doubled over and she made a break for it. She hadn't gotten a foot before he grabbed at her ankle. Ellie fell onto her side. She tried to scream but he was already on top of her. He smacked her in the face hard. "You're going pay for that, bitch!" Tears were rolling down her face. All of a sudden the weight on her body was gone. **

**Another man stood before her. He was dressed all in black and had her attacker by the throat. He looked to be in his late twenties and had beard. What she noticed the most was those intense brown eyes. She heard a crack and her attacker fell to the ground. Her hero turned and faced her. His eyes were so gentle as he looked at her. A gloved hand cupped hr cheek. "I've already called the police. They should be here shortly." He began to walk off. Eleanor felt a sense of panic. "Wait! Who are you?" But he kept walking into the shadows where he came from. She could hear the sirens coming from the distance. Who was this guy!? **

**Somewhere in the city, 12:45 a.m.**

**Ian sat from a fire escape while pondering the night's events. He usually didn't get involved in such matters. Being seen caused a lot of questions but he couldn't allow the innocent female to be ravaged by that pervert. She was a lovely little thing too. Big brown eyes that spoke of an innocence not seen in people of this day and age. He wondered if they'd ever meet again. **

**NYPD station house, 1:45 a.m.**

**Ellie was brought in by a patrol unit. "Are you sure you don't need to go to the hospital, Doc Ellie?" She gave him a reassuring smile. "I'm fine, Joey. Let's just get this done so I go home." He nodded and started the paperwork on the incident. **

**Detective Sara Pezzini was still doing some last minute work on her most recent case. This one was involing a psycho psychiatrist of all things. The woman had attacked Sara while trying to steal the witchblade. She heard someone enter the station and looked up out of curiousity. It was Ellie with a patrol officer. The woman had bruises on her face and her skirt was torn. Sara quickly went to check on her friend. Ellie smiled when she was Pez approach. "Eight months here and you'd think I knew better than to walk home alone. Some guy tried to rape me." Sara gave a look to the other officer. "Joey? I'll take care of this. Go home to Nera." He gave her a grateful smile and Pez led Ellie into her office.**

**Ellie filled Pez in on what happened, including her mysterious hero. "Ellie! I thought you had more sense than to walk home alone!" Ellie colored intensely. The two women had become fast friends eight months ago when she started working in their station. Pez looked out for her from time to time. "I had my pepper spray so I thought I was okay." Sara rolled her eyes. "This ain't Louisiana. Big bads in this town." Ellie grimaced at the older woman. "I know. Thank God that guy got there when he did. He saved my ass." **

**" What did he look like? Maybe I can find your knight in shining armor?" Maybe he could explain the suspect's broken neck too. Ellie just wanted to thank him.**** "6'3". Very handsome. Late twenties. Dark hair. Beard. Dressed all in black. I saw a tattoo on his arm when he took the guy off me. It looked like a black dragon."**

**Sara almost choked. That fit Ian Nottingham to a tee. Ellie couldn't understand Sara's panicked expression. "I'm guessing you've seen he guy before too." All Sara could think about was that expression. '**_**Everything is connected'**_


	2. Dreams

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters

**Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.**

**Chapter 2: Dreams**

_**The corridor of the castle was dimly lit as she ran away from Mordred. "You can't get away from me!" A hand grabs her by the waist and turns her around. Mordred's violet eyes stare down at her. "Tell me where the sword is and I'll let you live!" Someone hits her captor from behind. It was Gawain! A sword fight commences. The knight manages to fight off the knave but he escapes. Her knight comes to her and embraces her. His voice filled with emotion. "How dare he touch you! My love..We must find the sword before Mordred. He'll use it against the king." **_

_**His embrace gives her such comfort. "No one will ever use Excalibur against Arthur. Not when there is breath in my body. I may be a woman but I am also a knight. I will not make it so easy for Mordred." He leans into her, their lips meeting. Her whole body is on fire for him. He is her other half, her lover and protector. He raises his head and takes her hand. They run toward the light at the end of the corridor. **_

**Beep! Beep! Beep! Ellie woke with a start. Damn! The dream was just getting good too! She turned off her alarm and got out of bed. As she went towards the kitchen to start the coffee, she saw a man looking in her window. She recognized the eyes. It was her hero from the other night. The second she spotted him, he disappeared again. Ellie was confused by his behavior. It was like he was watching out for her now. That somehow made her feel safer. **

**The dreams had been happening since the night she was attacked. Her hero's face was the one she saw when the knight rescued her. His lips the one she dreamt about. It was a nice break from her other nightmares. They had always revolved around a castle, sword and a dragon symbol. Her journal was full of drawings of things from her dreams. Ellie gave herself a shake. She was going to be late if she kept daydreaming.**

**Across the street from Ellie Tortosa**

**Ian still didn't know what to make of the female. He had run a background check on her. **_**Eleanor Gwen Tortosa. Found on a church step in Wales on September 1978. No parents ever found. Raised in the Saint Rita orphanage until 18 years old. Went to college at Louisiana State University and went on to get her PhD in psychology. **_**There's was nothing that remotely explained why she fascinated him. The dreams were enough to drive him to her apartment. In his dreams he was a knight that rescues his love from Mordred. The only problem is that his lady in the dreams was Ellie! He had been dreaming the same dream since the night he saved her. They were in medieval times in the dreams too. What did it mean? **

**He watched her from behind a tree as she got into a cab. A stab of guilt went through his heart. Sara was the one he was supposed to be protecting. He felt torn between the women. Dr. Tortosa would give him some answers. He would find out what her hold on him was…very soon. **


	3. The Fire Within

**Chapter 3: The Fire Within**

**NYPD station house**

**Ellie was walking into the station, reading the newspaper, as usual. The desk sergeant waved her over when he saw her. "Phone call, doc." Ellie smiled at the nickname and took the phone from him. "This is Doctor Tortosa. May I help you?" All of a sudden, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She knew who it was. **

"**It's a dangerous habit to walk in the park at night, alone."**

**Ellie: "One time deal for me. That night taught me a lesson. I never got the chance to thank you."**

"**Then meet me at my home. That is all I require from you for now."**

**Reason said she should refuse but she needed to see him again.**

**Ellie: "Alright. Just give me the address and time."**

"**No need. I will send a car for you." Click.**

**Ellie just stared at the receiver. I hope I won't regret this. The car came around 11:30. Ellie watched as they drove to a posh estate in the rich area **

**of town. The driver let her out and a servant led her through the immense estate that used to belong to Kenneth Irons. They stopped at the entrance of the dining room and the servant sat her at the table. **

**A fire crackled in the fireplace a few feet away. The environment was extravagant but relaxing. "Thank you for coming, Dr. Tortosa." The voice was familiar and still sent shivers down her spine. The dark figure stood from the chair in front of the fire. He was dress in a grey business suit, his hair slicked back into a ponytail. Ellie did her best not to sound nervous. "It's the least I could do for the man who saved my life. I don't even know your name." All she heard was his footsteps as he approached her chair. He took a seat right next to her and took her hand. "It's Ian Nottingham." He raised her hand to his lips and kissed her hand, lingering there for a second, inhaling her scent. He was definetly making her nervous! Ellie barely knew the man and she was serverely attracted to him. That had never happened before.**

"**I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't helped me. I never expected to find a knight in shining armor in New York." She squeezed his hand a little affectionately and gave him a light smile. Ian's heart skipped a beat. He had been there by chance, wondering the night, looking for something to fill his empty night. Ever since that night, his dreams had been of this woman. "Who are you?" He looked at her as if fascinated. Ellie swallowed hard. "Just a psychologist who wanted to work in the court system. I worked in different places before but never anywhere with as much activity as New York." **

"**That's your job. I want to know WHO you are. I've been dreaming of you since the night we met." Ian cursed to himself. He let that slip and he knew it was a mistake. "So have I." His eyes flew open at that remark. Ellie was shock also, wondering if he dreamt the same dreams as she. The hallway, excaliber, the passion. She blushed at the memory. "I think might be the shock of what happened. My dreams were of you as a knight, saving me from the bad guy. Considering what happened, it's not quite a stretch." This was getting embarrassing for her. Ellie had always been very shy and men had been very few in her life. "If you please, describe it in detail." **

**Ellie's face turned beet red. "It seemed to take place in an old castle. I'm running from someone named Mordred, he gets a hold of me, and you save me." Ian couldn't believe his ears. She was dreaming the exact same thing he was. This couldn't be a coincidence. He smiled to himself. She was leaving something out, something that was obviously making her uncomfortable. The kiss. He wouldn't push her on the subject. He would get to know her, get her to trust him, and then he would find out how she had trapped his senses. He was curious about one thing though. **

**Before Ellie could protest, Ian stood, took her face in his hands, and kissed her. Her insides turned to liquid heat, the reality outweighed the dream by spades. He slid his fingers into her hair, his mouth so sweet, so gentle. She moaned in protest as he backed off. Ian had to turn away so she didn't see the intense desire in his eyes. "That was better than the dream, wasn't it?" Still unable to speak, she just nodded. Before anything could be said, the butler came in with the lunch had planned for them. "Chicken fettuccine alfredo." Ian sat and they ate in silence but they both felt the intensity of that kiss in the air. **

**When it was over, he gave her a tour of the artwork he owned. Ellie had been particularly interested when they came to the painting of Joan of Arc. Ellie could have sworn the woman in the painting was Sara Pezzini! "You worked for Kenneth Irons for a long time, didn't you?" Ian waited a minute before answering. "He took me in when I was a child, gave me a home. He was more of a father to me than an employer." She heard the sadness in his voice. She took his hand, squeezed it, trying to sooth him in some small way. "I never knew my parents. It must have been nice to have someone like that take an interest in your life like that." **

**The afternoon went on for another hour and then Ellie had to leave. Ian walked her to the car. "I enjoyed this very much, Ian. I hope we can do it again." To his surprise, she raised up on tiptoe and kissed him. Then she entered the car and the driver took her back to the station. Ian was at a loss for words. She had thrown him off his guard. He had meant to interrogate her about why she was in New York. Ellie Tortosa had wormed her way into his life in such a way that he didn't know if he could get her out. Those eyes would be in his dreams again tonight. He would awake with the same need for her, the same fire within. **


End file.
